Go Down, Moses

"The Sisko is of Earth as well! My father, my
wife, my children-- those people are still important to me, even here.
You can't tell me there's nothing I can do to help them!"

*The Sisko is of the Prophets. The Prophets must obey the
Pact.*

"I don't give a damn about your Pact. I care
about my family!"

*The Sisko is of Bajor. The Sisko's family are the
Prophets.*

"Yes. But my family is also humans. I am of Earth as
much as, or more than, I am of Bajor, and here. Why did you pick a
human to conceive me if you expected me to be able to turn my back on
humanity?"

*Humanity was needed. For Bajor.*

"Humanity is still needed for Bajor. Can't you
see how the loss of humanity is destabilizing the quadrant? And the relations
with the Dominion as well? What do you think will happen to Bajor if the
Founders take advantage of the fall of the Federation as they're planning? You
can see it! Look!"

*We have seen. We have always seen.*

*The Pact forbids interference.*

"They exist in linear time. We can do
something."

*They do not.*

*They intersect linear time. As we do.*

*They understand intersection. They understand linear
time. As we do not/did not/will not.*

"Wasn't the point of creating me so that you could
understand intersection with linear time?"

*One of many goals.*

*We did not interfere. We are not interfering. We will not
interfere. The Pact holds.*

"You're scared."

*They are changing.*

*They seek to avoid change and in so they have changed
irrevocably.*

"You're afraid they'll attack."

*The Powers do not war on each other.*

"So what was up with you and the Pagh-wraiths?"

*The Pact does not forbid internal conflict.*

*They have not violated the Pact. We have not violated the
Pact.*

*We will not violate the Pact.*

*They... may.*

*They... will.*

"Then what good does it do us to hold to that
Pact if you know they're becoming something that will break it? We need to do
something!"

*We avoid conflict. We do not break the Pact.*

"You think that if we try to interfere to help humanity
they'll attack us."

*We are of Bajor. We protect Bajor.*

"They'll attack Bajor?"

*Many possibilities exist. Many linear futures extend from
the point of their blockade.*

"They might attack Bajor, or us, or do something else
obnoxious."

*Obnoxious. Yes.*

"Well, that seems to be a racial trait."

*It has always been so. It will always be so.*

"Sometimes I almost think you guys have a sense of
humor... This is what you're missing. They've already broken the Pact. You
had a plan for my youngest child. They've subverted the destiny you had prepared.
They have interfered with you."

*The Prophets will keep the Pact.*

"Even though they're breaking it? Come on! I
understand you don't want to go up against the Q directly-- if you wouldn't do
it with the Pagh-wraiths I can certainly see why you wouldn't do it with the
Q-- but I refuse to believe you're such cowards that you'll do nothing
as they cause your plans to fall down around you. You worked with mortals
against the Pagh-wraiths. I was your Emissary. Let me act. I am of
Earth as much as Bajor, and I never signed any Pact."

*This has been done. It is being done. It will be done.*

*The Sisko is still linear. The Sisko will learn.*

"Benjamin?"

"Old man? How did you get here?"

"The Kai showed up on DS9 and demanded I look into one
of the orbs. Is that really you, Benjamin? You're not dead?"

"No, not dead, old man. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get
a message through to let you know that, before."

"You really upset Jake. He went looking for
you, and got pretty much lost, and... not that it much matters any more, I
guess."